Windbreak



'Marchvzz, 1949. I BUTLER ETAL 2,465,147

WINDBREAK v Filed July 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 1E JAMl-IS. C.fine/v5 4.4/0 I 650265 1. 507.4 F2

INKS/V7028.

my Waive.

Patented Mar. 22, 1949 OFFICE WINDBREAK George L. Butler and James C.Byrne,

. South Bend, Ind.

Application July 19, 1946, Serial No. 684,887

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in windbreaks, and moreparticularly to a windbreak for use by sportsmen during cold or windyweather as for ice fishing, or for use as a hunting blind.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a windbreak which isnovel and simple in construction and inexpensive.

A further object is to provide a windbreak which may be collapsed tocompact form to facilitate its storage in a small space and which iseasy to erect and firm and rigid when erected.

A further object is to provide a windbreak which is collapsible to forma compartment therein and which is provided with removable extensionportions adapted to be stored within the container when the device iscollapsed.

A further object is to provide a windbreak of this character with meanswhich serve to brace the device when in its extended position and toprovide a seat in conjunction therewith, said bracing means beingcollapsible into flat form within the overall outline of the device whencollapsed.

A further object is to provide a device of this character having sidepanels which are shiftable between collapsed flat compact form and angularly related extended form, wherein at least one of the panels isreinforced by means which forms runners permitting the device to slideover snow and ice for easy transport thereof.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device in collapsed form.

Fig. 2 is a. perspective view of the device in its extended form.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, which illustrate the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the numerals ill and I2 designate panel units which arepreferably rigid and are of generally rectangular shape and somewhatelongated. Each of the units and I2 is provided with a panel I4 whichmay be formed of plywood or any other suitable material having lightweight and strength adequate for its intended purpose. The unit Ill hasside rails it which are preferably grooved lon- 'gitudinally at theirinner faces to'receive the side edges of the panel M. An end rail 18 ofthe same transverse dimensions as the rail 16 rein- I forces the outerend of the panel H3. As will best The opposite panel unit [2 has rails26 at its longitudinal edges grooved to receive the panel l4 and a cleat22 extending across the outer end of the unit at the inner face onlythereof. The forward end edge of the rails 29 of the unit I2 are taperedat 24 to facilitate the use of the rails as runners. Intermediateopposite rails 20 and parallel thereto is provided a longitudinallyextending retainer portion 26 of shorter length than the rails 20.

The ends of the units in and i2 opposite those spanned by the framebraces 18 and 22 have a pair of fabric sheets secured thereto, the samebeing an outer sheet 28 and an inner sheet 30 which are of differentlengths and serve to provide a socket therebetween in which is mounted arigid cylindrical member or dowel 32. The dowel 32 is preferably tackedor otherwise secured to the two fabric members 28 and 38 at the centralportions of said fabric sheets, and the socket for receiving the dowelis preferably somewhat larger than the" dowel. The sheets 28 and 3D andthe dowel 32 cooperate with the frame units In and I2 to'form a hingetherebetween so that the units It and I2 may be collapsed tosuperimposed position as illustrated in Fi 1, in which event the outerfabric sheet 28 fits snugly around the dowel 32 and the inner fabricsheet so has slack therein, and the extended position illustrated inFig. 3 wherein the inner fabric ,member 30 is substantially taut and theouter fabric member 28 is slack. The fabric sheets and the dowelpreferably extend from side to side or frame to frame of the device toform a strong interconnection of the parts and also to prevent passageof air between the panels I ll and I2 when the same are erected inextended vertical position as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Each of the frame units It] and I2 has pivotally connected thereto atthe lower rails 15 and 20, as illustrated in Fig. 2, a bracket member3t, said bracket members being pivotally connected at their center at36. These bracket parts 3% are collapsible to lie flat against thepanels It when the. device is in the collapsed position shown in Fig. 1.The bracket assembly is preferably provided with an opening 38 therein,as best illustrated in Fig. 4.

A bar 40 extends perpendicularly from the cleat 32am]. is securedthereto by means of a bolt 42 which is rotatablein the cleat 32 as bestseen 3 in Fig. 4. At its outer end the bar 40 mounts a seat portion 44having edges 46 extending in angular relation to each other and adaptedto abut the panels I4 when the bracket 34 is extended as shown in Fig.2. A rigid panel 48 is pivoted at 58 to the forward under side of theseat 44 at a position adapted to abut the front edge of the bracket 34.A foot board 52 is pivoted at 54 to the free end of the plate 48. Inrearwardly spaced relation to the plate 48 and preferably verticallyaligned with the opening 38 is pivoted at 56 to the seat 44 a narrowrigid cleat 58 of the same length as the panel 48 and of a size anddimension to fit in the opening 38 in the bracket 84. An opening 60 isformed in the upper part of the panel 48 and is of a width to permit thepart 58 to fit therein when the panel 48 and the member 58 are swunginto parallel relation with the panel 44. Any suitable fastener 62serves to connect the lower free ends of the members 48 and 58 and mayconstitute a hook secured to one of said members and detachably engaginga hasp or staple carried by the other of said members.

In the erected condition of the device as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, and4, it will be observed that the seat 44 is supported in a horizontalposition upon the member 48, and the member 48 is anchored firmly byvirtue of the fastener 62 which connects it with the upright 58, whichlatter upright is held against sliding movement upon the supportingsurface, such as ice, by virtue of its reception within the opening 38of the bracket 34. Note in this connection that the seat, by virtue ofits engagement with the panels I4 at its edges 46, serves with thebracket 34 to hold the assembly in operative angular extended form asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 3, thereby assuring against collapse of thewindbreak incident to the pressure of the wind. When the device is to becollapsed to the Fig. 1 condition, the fastener 62 is disconnected,thereby releasing the parts 58 and 48. The seat 44 is then swung to aplane parallel to the axis of the cleat 32, thereby releasing the member58 from the opening 38 in the bracket 34 and permitting the same to foldflat against the bottom of the seat 44 passing through the opening 68 inthe panel 48. The panel 48 is likewise folded flat against the bottom ofthe seat, and the foot board at the free end thereof is folded back uponthe panel 48 in substantially the Plane of the seat 44. Thereupon thebracket 34 may be folded and the panel units I8 and I2 folded inwardlyupon themselves to collapsed position with the seat and panelconstruction confined between the panels I4 of the units I and I2.

The cleat 32 has a central bore 64 formed in the end thereof which isadapted to be positioned uppermost when the unit is erected and therigid rod 66 is adapted to fit in said bore 64. The uppermost of therails I6 and 28 of the frame units I0 and I2 are provided with borespreferably extending vertically or at an angle to the vertical and rigidrods 68 are adapted to be received and supported in such rail bores. Afabric '10 is preferably secured at its inner or lower end to the innerface of the uppermost rails I6 and 28 and has provided therein at itsside edges sockets receiving the rods 66 and 68 for the purpose oftensioning the fabric sheet Ill. The rods 66 and 68 are preferably of alength no greater than the lengths of the panels I4, so that when thesame are detached from the device and the device is collapsed, the rodsmay fit within the collapsed device and the fabric 10 be folded therein.Thus the device provides the necessary vertical dimension to protect aperson seated upon the support 44 against the wind, and at the same timeis collapsible into a small compact form.

It will be observed that, by virtue of the arrangement of the device, itis small enough to facilitate compact storage thereof and to renderhandling thereof easy. For example, the device is small enough in itscollapsed form, as shown in Fig. 1, to fit within the trunk portion ofthe average automobile. When collapsed as explained above with the seatand other supporting means fiat therein, and with the rods 66 and 68 andthe fabric sheet I0 also confined therein, the device provides aself-container unit. In instances where the device must be moved asubstantial distance from the point of transport, such as a road, to apoint of use, such as a location in the middle of a lake, the runners20, 26 obviate the necessity of carrying the device and permit it to betowed as by means of a rope 12. In other words, the device forms a sledin its collapsed form, thereby facilitating its transport andeliminating the necessity that it be carried. Ad-

ditionally, it will be apparent that fishing equip ment and other itemsmay be positioned upon the top of the collapsed unit so that the deviceforms handy means for supporting other items in addition to its ownparts. Note that the portions of the frame members l6 and I8, whichproject above the panel I4, serve as retainers to prevent the itemsbeing transported by the device from falling therefrom.

When the unit has been towed to the point of use selected, the erectionof the device is quick and simple. Note that there are no securing meansexcept the member 62 which need be manipulated and that the device canbe erected rapidly by turning it on edge, opening the unit, then turningthe seat portion 44 into a plane at right angles to the cleat 32. Inconjunction with this operation, of course, the seat supports 48 and 58are moved to operative position, the latter engaging in the socket 38 ofthe bracket 34, and the former being held to the latter by the fastener62. Thereupon the rods 66 and 68 can be threaded into the sockets of thesheet member III and then inserted in the bores of the frame units andthe dowel 32 which are adapted to receive the same, and this completesthe operation of erecting the unit.

While the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated anddescribed herein is preferred, it will be understood that otherembodiments of the invention may be made within the spirit of theinvention and within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panels, means pivotallyinterconnecting said panels, collapsible means for bracing said panelsin predetermined angular relation and including a seat portion, saidbracing means being collapsible to accommodate positioning of saidpanels in substantially parallel abutting relation.

2. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panels, means pivotallyinterconnecting said panels, a collapsible seat shiftable relative tosaid panels, and a collapsible brace between said panels and detachablyinterlocked with said seat to fixedly anchor said seat relative to saidpanels.

3. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panel units, meansinterconnecting said panels for pivotal movement between collapsedsubstantially parallel juxtaposed relation and extended predeterminedangular relation, each panel unit including a marginal reinforcing frameprojecting from its inner surface whereby said panel units define acompartment therebetween when collapsed, and means for bracing saidpanel units in extended relation and collapsible into said compartment.

4. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panel units, meansinterconnecting said panels for pivotal movement between collapsedsubstantially parallel juxtaposed relation and extended predeterminedangular relation, each panel unit including a marginal reinforcing frameprojecting from its inner surface whereby said panel units define acompartment therebetween when collapsed, and means for bracing saidpanel units in extended relation and collapsible into said compartment,the frame of at least one panel unit including a plurality of parallelrunners projecting from its outer surface.

5. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panel units, meansinterconnecting said panels for pivotal movement between collapsedsubstantially parallel juxtaposed relation and extended predeterminedangular relation, each panel unit including a marginal reinforcing frameprojecting from its inner surface whereby said panel units define acompartment therebetween when collapsed, and means for bracing saidpanel units in extended relation and collapsible into said compartment,and a seat collapsible within said compartment and held in operativeposition by detachable interlocking engagement with said brace.

6. A windbreak comprising a pair of panel units, each including a rigidpanel and a marginal frame projecting from one face of said panel, meanspivotally connecting said panels for movement between collapsed positionwith said frames abutting to define a chamber and extended angularlydiverging position, brace means collapsible into said chamber andextensible to limit divergence of said panel units, and a seat unitswiveled to said connecting means and adapted to interlock with saidbrace means.

7. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panels, flexible sheetmaterial spanning and interconnecting adjacent ends of said panels anddefining a socket therebetween, and a rigid member fitting in saidsocket, said panels being shiftable angularly relative to said memberbetween collapsed parallel relation and diverging angular relation.

8. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panels, flexible sheetmaterial spanning and interconnecting adjacent ends of said panels anddefining a socket therebetween, and a rigid member fitting in saidsocket, said panels being shiftable angularly relative to said memberbetween collapsed parallel relation and diverging angular relation, atleast one of said panels having a plurality of parallel outwardlyprojecting portions defining runners.

9. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid panels, flexible sheetmaterial spanning and interconnecting adjacent ends of said panels anddefining a socket therebetween, and a rigid member fitting in saidsocket, said panels being shiftable angularly relative to said memberbetween collapsed parallel relation and diverging angular relation, aseat swiveled to said rigid member, a sectional hinged unit pivoted tosaid seat, and means for anchoring said unit with one section thereofvertical to support said seat and another section projectinghorizontally to define a foot board.

10. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid elongated panels, meanspivotally connecting said panels at an end thereof, reinforcing membersat the margins of said panels adapted to engage to define a chamberbetween said panels when swung together, rigid members detachablysupported by said reinforcing members and projectting outwardly from andsubstantially parallel to said panels, and a flexible member detachablysupported by said rigid members.

11. A windbreak comprising a pair of rigid elongated panel unitsincluding marginal reinforcing members, a flexible web interconnectingand spanning adjacent ends of said panels and defining a pocket parallelto and between said panel ends, a rigid member fitting in said pocketand having a longitudinal socket in one end, said reinforcing membershave sockets therein, rigid members detachably mounted in saidrespective sockets, and a flexible sheet supported by said last namedmembers.

GEORGE L. BUTLER. JAMES C. BYRNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 510,427 Hine Dec. 12, 18931,712,858 Tsuchii May 14, 1929 2,145,431 Panza Jan. 31, 1939 2,210,652Dennett Aug. 6, 1940

